


A Not So Surprising Surprise Party

by SleepySsnail



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Baker Hunk (Voltron), Birthday, Birthday Cake, Birthday Presents, Cake, Cookies, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Insecure Lance (Voltron), JuLance, JuLance Challenge 2019, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Surprise Party, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-24 23:23:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20022724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepySsnail/pseuds/SleepySsnail
Summary: Lance: *Lance added Hunk, Keith, Shiro, and Pidge to the group chat*Lance: *Lance named the group “Lance’s surprise birthday party”*Lance: *Lance left the group*In which Lance wants a surprise party and everyone is an amazing friend panicking over gifts





	A Not So Surprising Surprise Party

**Author's Note:**

> So I wanted to celebrate Lance's birthday by basing it off one of my own [incorrect quote](https://incorrectvld-quotes.tumblr.com/post/184998350007/lance-lance-added-hunk-keith-shiro-and-pidge) and somehow churned this monster out!

##  _July 24, 4:26 PM  
_

_Lance has created the group chat “Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

_Lance has added Hunk_

_Lance has added Pidge_

_Lance has added Shiro_

_Lance has added Keith_

_Lance has left the group_

**Hunk:** Buddy?

**Hunk:** My man?

**Pidge:** Is he really that desperate for a birthday party?

**Shiro:** I can bring the streamers

**Hunk:** He’s been quiet about his birthday recently

**Hunk:** Isn’t that weird?

**Keith:** We celebrated it all month

**Keith:** Isn’t that enough

**Pidge:** He obviously wants a surprise party

**Pidge:** That isn’t a surprise

**Hunk:** if we do all the prep without him knowing what we’re doing isn’t it still a surprise?

**Pidge:** Not in the slightest

**Pidge:** He basically told us to do it. He knows

**Hunk:** He hasn’t told me anything about this

**Hunk:** Should I mention it?

**Keith:** It’s Lance

**Keith:** He probably doesn’t want to talk about it

**Pidge:** Or he wants to see how we can pull this off without him

**Shiro:** We’re giving him a surprise party

**Shiro:** It’ll be fun

**Keith:** Why?

**Shiro:** Cake

**Pidge:** I forgot about that

**Pidge:** We’re doing the party

**Keith:** You just want cake

**Pidge:** Maybe

**Hunk:** So we’re actually planning this? If so I can make some cookies to go along with the cake!

**Shiro:** One step at a time guys

**Shiro:** Let’s start with the easiest things first

* * *

Lance loved his birthday. It was something special to him that was his and his alone and everyone he knew seemed to think the same thing. Normally for his birthday Lance would have all his family together and they’d eat and play games and just have a good long session of family time which always left him satisfied and happy.

But this year was different. Lance’s family had been busy the entire week of his birthday and couldn’t meet up the way they usually did, instead choosing to have an early party at the beginning of July. It was nice and it worked for Lance, but it also worked out in giving him the opportunity to spend his actual birthday with his friends. He just didn’t know how to bring it up properly. At the beginning of the month Keith had jokingly said something about how they should celebrate all month and called it “Julance” which Lance loved and took very seriously. Pidge and Allura had come up with prompts for each day and Shiro, Coran, and Hunk had routinely sent him pictures of things or little quotes that matched up with each prompt.

But he still didn’t know how to ask for a party. Or how to ask if anyone would want to attend his party. He felt selfish for making the entire month about himself and wanting a celebration on top of it all, but Lance wasn’t one to back down from something he wanted.

So he made the group chat.

Lance had been surprised when he hadn’t received a private message from any of his friends asking what the group was about or what he was getting at, or even a regular question from Hunk, but he had been more frustrated and mad at himself for forgetting to add Coran and Allura before removing himself. The excitement and nervousness Lance was feeling when he was creating the group had made him forget to add his two foreign friends, but he didn’t want to message any of his friends privately and ask to add them. The less he talked about the party the better. Especially since it probably wouldn’t even happen.

* * *

##  _July 25, 10:38 AM  
_

_“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Hunk:** Do you think cookies can be blue?

**Keith:** What are you doing?

**Hunk:** Nothing just curious. What’s your favorite cookie Keith?

**Keith:** Does it matter?

**Keith:** I thought this was for Lance?

**Hunk:** Yeah but we should all enjoy it

**Hunk:** Please tell me you like cookies

**Hunk:** If you don’t like cookies I’m going to have to kick some sense into your Texan butt

**Keith:** I was raised in the Arizona desert

**Hunk:** You have a slight Texas accent

**Hunk:** I can hear it when you speak

**Keith:** Chocolate chip

**Hunk:** Chocolate > batter

**Hunk** : Or

**Hunk:** Batter < chocolate

**Keith:** I like it an equal ratio

**Keith:** But if I had to choose more chocolate is nice

**Hunk:** Wanna come over and help taste test?

**Keith:** Why not ask Lance?

**Hunk:** It’s supposed to be a surprise for the party

**Hunk:** And he’s out doing stuff

**Keith:** It could just be a cookie tasting thing if it’s all three of us

**Keith:** So he’s not left out

**Hunk:** Fair point

**Hunk:** I’ll text him

**Keith:** Cool

* * *

Lance couldn’t help but grin when he saw the text from Hunk saying he made cookies. He loved his best friend and had been together since elementary school, the only time they fought was during the school dance in seventh grade when they both wanted to ask each other to go as friends. It only made sense that they’d become roommates when they moved out considering they had almost no secrets between each other and knew nobody else would put up with their antics.

“Hey Hunk!” Lance called as he shut the door behind him, his voice ringing through the house that always smelled of cooking, “Where you at?”

“Kitchen!” Hunk replied, his words muffled like he had something in his mouth.

Walking into the kitchen Lance crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe before saying, “You didn’t tell me mullet was gonna be here.”

“If you have such a problem with me,” Keith said, “I can leave.”

“No, no,” Lance said with a smirk as he pulled out his phone to take pictures of Keith, “You look cute with all the flour in your hair. You should try bleaching it sometime.”

Making a face, Keith ran his hands through his floury hair and grumbled about how it was an accident when he tried to help. Snorting at the pictures he took, Lance joined Hunk in pouring a glass of milk to dunk some of the chocolate chip cookies in while he scanned his friend’s fridge. All across it were different recipes and pictures of Hunk and Lance with their families. Lance’s favorite was the messy picture he had taken with Hunk at the beach before a huge wave knocked them both underwater.

“These are good,” Lance said as he bit into another cookie, “What’re they for?”

“Oh you know me,” Hunk said with a smile, putting his oven mitts away properly, “I just wanted something sweet.”

From where he was sitting on the countertop Keith snorted and commented, “You were the one who threatened bodily harm if I didn’t like cookies.”

“I never said that!” Hunk exclaimed, a look of panic crossing his face, “I just wanted to make sure you had some dessert you like!”

Making a sound through his mouthful of cookie, Lance pointed to the glass of milk Keith was holding and asked, “Aren’t you lactose intolerant?”

“Yes,” Keith said as he looked at the drink, “But I don’t care right now. There’s no point to cookies if there isn’t milk.”

“Fair point,” Lance shrugged, “That would be like having grilled cheese without tomato soup.”

“Guys stop,” Hunk groaned while he put different things away, “Now I want grilled cheese.”

“Sorry big guy,” Lance snickered before falling into a conversation about different videogames.

* * *

##  _July 25, 2:49 PM_

##  _“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Pidge:** My favorite cookie is peanut butter.

**Pidge:** No weird stuff

**Pidge:** Just peanut butter.

**Hunk:** I can make some of those!

**Shiro:** My favorite cookie is too weird

**Shiro:** I’ll settle for those black and white frosted ones

**Keith:** Trying to match your hair?

**Shiro:** We live together I’m not afraid to switch out your almond milk

**Keith:** Too late bitch

**Shiro:** What

**Hunk:** What’s your favorite cookie Shiro?

**Shiro:** Ladyfingers

**Shiro:** They’re these things made with crisp dough wrapped around clothespins or wooden dowels and baked in the oven

**Shiro:** But when you take them out you fill the hollow part with cream

**Shiro:** And they’re like cookie crack

**Keith:** They’re a pain in the ass to make so we don’t have them too often

**Pidge:** Leave it to Shiro to come up with the most complex and amazing sounding cookie ever

**Hunk:** …

**Hunk:** Send me a recipe and I’ll see what I can do

**Shiro:** I could kiss you

**Hunk:** Send Lance cat pictures instead

**Hunk:** Keep him distracted with kittens

* * *

##  _July 26, 5:20 AM_

**Keith:** Lance

**Keith:** Wake up

**Keith:** You know I’m not afraid to keep texting you until you wake up

**Keith:** Lance

**Keith:** Lance

**Keith:** Lance

**Lance:** What the hell do you want this early?

**Keith:** What do you like?

**Keith:** I mean what kind of stuff do you like?

**Lance:** I like it when my friends let me sleep

**Keith:** I need an actual answer.

**Lance:** Why?

**Keith:** I wanna know

**Lance:** Hack my amazon account if you wanna know

**Keith:** You’re being a sass cuz I woke you up

**Lance:** No shit

**Keith:** Okay. Fair point. Goodnight

* * *

##  _July 26, 1:28 PM_

_“Lance’s Birthday Surprise Party”_

_Shiro has added Allura_

_Shiro has added Coran_

**Shiro:** Sorry for the late notice.

**Shiro:** We thought you’d want to be a part of this

**Allura:** What is this?

**Shiro:** Birthday surprise party planning group for Lance

**Shiro:** Set up by Lance

**Shiro:** And abandoned by Lance

**Shiro:** We’re giving him the party he deserved

**Allura:** Somehow I missed everything except that we’re throwing a surprise party for Lance

**Allura:** What’s been done so far?

**Pidge:** I’m in charge of music

**Pidge:** I know the kind of jams Lance likes and what he’d want to hear the entire time

**Shiro:** I’ve got some blue streamers and balloons ready, Hunk is on cake and cookie duty, Pidge hasn’t committed to anything, and as far as I know Keith has spent the last three hours sitting in his room mumbling about what Lance’s amazon password is so he can figure out a gift

**Shiro:** Sorry long message

**Allura:** We can hold the party at my house

**Allura:** It’s big enough for everyone

**Coran:** CAN WE PLAY TWISTER

**Allura:** I don’t see why not

**Coran:** YES! THIS WILL BE AMAZING. HOW OLD IS LANCE TURNING I NEED TO KNOW IF I CAN BRING SOME HOMEMADE NUNVILLE

**Pidge:** Did you get your capslock stuck again?

**Coran:** YES I DID

**Coran:** IF YOU KNOW HOW TO FIX IT PLEASE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME

**Shiro:** So what’re you guys getting Lance for his birthday?

**Pidge:** …I didn’t think of that

**Keith:** I can’t get into his account yet

**Allura:** Hello Keith!

**Keith:** Hey Ally

**Keith:** Where’s Hunk when you need him?

**Coran:** DO YOU THINK LANCE WOULD ENJOY A CD ON POLKA MUSIC

**Shiro:** No

**Shiro:** Just

**Shiro:** No

* * *

Pidge was bad at shopping. Pidge knew they were bad at shopping but didn’t trust anyone else to buy something for Lance that looked like it legitimately came from them. All in all Lance had a lot of interests which made it hard to pinpoint something for Pidge to get him.

Lance liked videogames and a lot of them were the same ones Pidge liked, but he also liked clothes and that went right over the computer nerd’s head. They both liked the same bad horror films that were more like cheap comedy, but Pidge didn’t think that would make a good present.

So they settled for wandering through gamestop in an attempt to find something Lance would like and actually use instead of putting on a shelf. It had taken at least an hour for Pidge to decide to buy something from gamestop for Lance, and another hour to narrow it down to two items only for them to buy them all. Logically this meant Pidge had three gifts for Lance and a better chance of him liking at least one of them.

Now they just had to wrap them.

* * *

##  _July 26, 3:40 PM_

_“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Pidge:** I got my things for Lance

**Pidge:** You guys better step up your game

**Allura:** Ooohh!! What did you get him?

**Pidge:** It’s a secret.

**Pidge:** Let’s just say gift bags are a huge blessing

**Allura:** Understandable!

**Coran:** PERHAPS LANCE WOULD APPRECIATE A PAIR OF MY LUCK GYM SOCKS FROM WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH

**Pidge:** Have you ever washed them?

**Coran:** NEVER

**Coran:** THAT’S WHY THEY’RE LUCKY

**Allura:** Coran, that’s a lovely idea but I don’t think it’s appropriate for a birthday

* * *

##  _July 26, 5:23 PM_

Lance loved different body scrubs and scented candles, Allura was well aware of this fact, but it was choosing one that was the difficult part. Allura had quickly found the scrub she almost knew Lance would love, but ended up hesitating at the candles. There were too many scents and colors to choose from, and Allura wasn’t sure if Lance would be interested in his usual ocean themed candle smells or if he’d want something daring and different from what he’d normally get himself.

So Allura ended up staying in the store for two hours smelling andles until she had a raging headache the perfect candle, and two body scrubs. When she got home Allura wasted no time in getting out a gift bag and carefully wrapping each item in different shaeds of blue tissue paper before putting them in the bag and setting it aside. Shopping for lance wasn’t hard considering he and Allura had some similar interested, but it was just difficult deciding what to get him. There was also the added pressure of making sure Lance actually liked hat Allura got him when her last present of homemade soap ended up giving him a rash all over his arms.

There was no way this could go wrong.

* * *

##  _July 26, 9:12 PM_

_“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Hunk:** I’m making the peanut butter cookies now

**Hunk:** Lance fell asleep on the couch watching one of his true crime shows

**Hunk:** He’s so cute when he’s asleep

**Hunk:** _Hunk has sent an image_

**Hunk:** Also Shiro you were totally right aabout the Ladyfingers

**Shiro:** Really? You liked them?

**Hunk:** Lance and I ate the entire test batch

* * *

Smiling at the conversation, Hunk put his phone down and began to scoop out balls of cookie dough onto the baking sheet. There was no easy way for him to keep the surprise from lance, especially since the other had started the whole thing himself, but Hunk was determined to try and keep at least a few things a surprise from his friend. Lance seemed pretty easygoing when it came to the amount of baking Hunk had been doing and never raised an eyebrow in question, but Hunk knew he had to come up with a way to bake the cake without the birthday boy seeing or catching on.

As far as gifts went, Hunk was a little overprepared and had bought Lance’s present two months early. It was a jacket Lance had been coveting for a good while but said he didn’t need so there was no reason to purchase it. So like a good friend Hunk bought it and had it wrapped in neat yellow paper with a blue ribbon hidden in the bottom of his shirt drawer.

As far as everything else went, Hunk was just hoping everyone else could pull this off so Lance would like it. This was his best friend and there was almost nothing Hunk would do to make him happy.

* * *

##  _July 27, 8:36 AM_

_“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Coran:** I fixed my capslock!!!! :D :D :D

**Coran:** And I also got Lance’s present!

**Keith:** Tell me it’s not polka

**Coran:** Polka is a perfectly respectable gift

**Coran:** Alas I forwent my own desires to get Lance something I believe he’ll truly appreciate.

**Keith:** What is it?

**Coran:** Blue

**Coran:** What about yours?

**Keith:** Still working on it

**Shiro:** I got mine

**Shiro:** Sort of

**Coran:** You two better hurry up! You don’t want to be buying a gift on the day of!

**Shiro:** The party’s tomorrow? Already?

**Keith:** Lance did give us like 3 days to plan

**Shiro:** Allura’s taking are of a lot of it for us

**Coran:** So am I! I’m helping set up a lot of it!

**Coran:** Also Hunk is going to be coming here early to bake the cake so Lance doesn’t suspect anything!

* * *

##  _July 27, 12:45 PM_

Everyone knew Shiro was terrible at wrapping presents, especially when it had to be done with wrapping paper. When it came to gift bags, half the time Shiro forgot to put tissue paper in so nobody could see what was inside. This was just turning out to be a disaster. Scraps of paper had been slapped around to patch up the holes he had torn when trying to tape it together, and if he held it the wrong way Shiro could see what the present was.

“This is shit,” Shiro muttered to himself as he turned it in his hands again, contemplating if he should try to start again. “Nah, he’ll like it anyway. I hope.”

* * *

##  _July 27, 8:49 PM_

_“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Keith:** What the hell do I get Lance?

**Keith:** I don’t know what he wants

**Keith:** And he won’t give me any hints

**Pidge:** Have you tried putting a bow on yourself and saying you’re his gift?

**Keith:** Not funny Pidge

**Keith:** I’m serious I don’t wanna mess this up

**Pidge:** Get him something blue or that reminds him of the sea

**Pidge:** He loves that stuff

**Keith:** I guess

* * *

##  _July 28, 12:01 AM_

_“Lance’s Surprise Birthday Party”_

**Hunk:** IT’S ALMOST TIME!!!

**Hunk:** I’M SO EXCITED.

**Shiro:** Same here :)

**Keith:** Sure

**Allura:** Lance is an amazing individual, I hope this pans out well

**Pidge:** If this doesn’t go well I’ll eat my keyboard. I know it’ll go well.

**Coran:** I BROKE MY CAPSLOCK AGAIN BUT I’M EXCITED AS WELL

* * *

##  _July 28, 11:10 AM_

Keith felt like a moron sitting in Allura’s living room waiting for Lance. He had rushed out early to buy Lance’s present before heading to the party location but still felt guilty about it. He was bad at getting stuff for people, even Shiro was hard for him to figure out, but he wanted to do something nice for Lance. Keith was almost sure he had messed things up the more he glanced at the wrapped box with his present in it.

“He’s gonna like it,” Hunk said reassuringly as he wiped his flour-covered hands on his apron, “Trust me.”

“I dunno,” Keith mumbled, “I waited until the last minute.”

“Just don’t tell him that,” Hunk smiled before returning to the kitchen.

From the front room, Coran bolted in and yelled, “He’s here everyone! It’s a code blue for Lance! Allura’s bringing him in now! Places!”

Everyone quickly moved so they were huddled in the kitchen around the large island counter. Silence fell over the room as the key to the front door turned and the sounds of Allura and Lance talking softly filled the entryway.

* * *

Lance was almost sure Allura had asked him to hang out so they could watch TV and just chill out. After not hearing anything on the surprise party chat he set up, Lance assumed nothing would come of it. Like every other day of the month, he had received the pictures and quotes that applied to the daily prompts, each of which made Lance smile and feel happy.

It was an honest surprise when he wandered into the kitchen and was accosted by the sight and sound of his friends yelling happy birthday at him and throwing a few handfuls of confetti.

“You actually did it,” Lance said softly, amazed that everyone had done this for him.

“Duh!” Pidge said from where they were seated on a barstool, “You basically told us to!”

“And you’re our friend,” Shiro said with a warm smile, “We’d do anything for you.”

“Except murder,” Hunk said nervously, “We don’t do murder.”

“Speak for yourself,” Keith said with a small smirk, earning a laugh from everyone.

For some reason it all felt like too much to have all his friends gathered in once place just for him, but it wasn’t bad in the slightest and only made Lance emotional. Happiness and appreciation for each of the people who cared for him rose in Lance’s chest and caused him to break out in his usual smile, laughing at one of Coran’s bad jokes at the same time Hunk began to talk about the spread of cookies he made along with a blue frosted cake.

It was perfect.

* * *

“Ally I could kiss you!” Lance said as he held the candle near his nose and took a whiff of the oft vanilla with hints of raspberry, “This is amazing!”

“I’m happy you like it!” Allura said brightly, “To be honest I got a headache smelling all the candles to try and find the right one.”

“You got high off candles?” Keith asked with a snort of amusement, “That’s awesome.”

Moving onto Shiro’s falling apart present, Laugh openly laughed as the paper came off in one quick movement to reveal a few packs of Korean face mask. ignoring how Shiro tried to stammer out an apology for the shoddy wrapping, Lance thanked him repeatedly refusing to let Allura even close to the masks in case she attempted to “borrow” one.

“Here,” Pidge said as they shoved a gift bag at Lance, “Get this over with.”

Taking his time in pulling each item out of the bag so he could watch Pidge squirm, Lance grinned at the pair of hogwarts socks before turning his attention to the videogame his friend had given him.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Lance said with a smile, “But you did and I love it!”

Breathing a sigh of relief Pidge slumped against Hunk whose gift had already been opened and gushed over. Lance had tried on the jacket without hesitation and insisted everyone give him their honest opinion. When it came to Coran’s gift of a blue galaxy print shirt, Lance had fallen in love with it instantly and insisted on changing into it right then and there.

“C’mon Keith!” Lance said as he opened his arms, “Lay it on me!”

“Fine,” Keith muttered as he handed Lance a medium-sized box, “Don’t blame me if you don’t want it.”

Grinning as he tore into the box, Lance found himself staring at a plush shark.

“If you don’t like it I can return it,” Keith said after a few moments of getting no response, “It’s stupid.”

“I,” Lance began as he pulled the sutffed animal into his arms, “Love. This. He’s going to sleep with me forever and I’m going to treasure him forever. Thank you Keith.”

Taking his eyes off the shark long enough to see Keith’s face turn red as he mumbled an apology, Lance smiled and looked around at his gifts and back at the friends who gave them to him.

“You guys are honestly the best, Lance said meaningfully, “I really think you guys make me a better person and I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“It’s the other way around,” Shiro said plainly while the others nodded, “You’re one of the best things that’s happened to us. Without you I don’t know if we’d be where we are today.”

As everyone agreed with Shiro’s words, Lance couldn’t help but think this was one of his best birthdays ever and by far the best not–surprise–surprise–party ever.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! My main tumblr is [sleepyssnail](https://sleepyssnail.tumblr.com/) in case you want to follow me there for any other fanfictions and ridiculous posts. Happy birthday to Lance!
> 
> 7/28/2019


End file.
